Adjustable support platform for infants&#39; bath



W. S. NOLAN Oct. 9, 1956 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT PLATFORM FOR INF'ANTS BATH Filed June 22, 1953 w L @mi J E E I M I I INVENTOR. W/'///'.s f /Vo/an ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT PLATFORM FOR INFANTS BATH Willis S. Nolan, San Francisco, Calif.

Application June 22, 1953, Serial No. 362,986

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-185)' This invention relates to auxiliary equipment for the bathing of infants, and more particularly to an adjustable platform for the support of an infants bath, said platform being adapted to be connected to and supported by the side wall of a conventional bathtub.

The essential object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable support platform of the type described embodying support means therefor adapted to straddle and frictionally engage the top of a wall of a permanently installed bathtub, and embodying means for horizontally positioning the platform regardless of the angular disposition of the bathtub wall.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable support platform in accordance with the object above set forth which is adapted to be folded into a compact unit for storage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing forming part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of the adjustable support platform of the invention in its environment of use;

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse vertical section of the support platform in physical combination with an infants bath, illustrating in dotted outline the position to which the bath is moved for emptying;

Figure 3 is a partial View in longitudinal vertical section of the support platform and mounting means therefor of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail in perspective of a latch arrangement which may be selectively employed with the platform and support means of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a detail view, partly in section, illustrating a modified form of support means for the platform.

Referring to the drawing, an infants bath in the form of a relatively small tub is supported on the outer wall 12 of a permanently installed bathtub 14 by means of a platform 16 mounted on a pair of spaced parallel yokelike supports, or legs, 18. The yoke-like supports embrace or straddle the bathtub wall 12 and extend for a substantial portion of the vertical height of this wall so as to lend an adequate degree of stability to the platform.

In order that the platform 16 may be horizontally positioned regardless of the angle of repose of the Wall 12 of any particular bathtub with which the support platform may be used, means are provided for pivotally adjusting the platform with respect to the legs 18. Thus, brackets 20, which are U-shaped in cross section, as indicated in Figure 3 and which are pivotally secured to the platform by hinges 22 have pivotally secured thereto, as by bolts 24, the legs 18. Adjustable locking support means for the legs 18 comprise wing bolts 26 extending through apertures formed in the legs and arcuate slots 28 formed in both sides of the brackets 20, said bolts having nuts 29 secured thereto,

The upper surface 30 of the body of the platform is preferably concave and is provided with a rubber covering 32, with the covering 32 being in turn provided with rice a removable covering 34 of cloth-like material. The cover 34 is provided with an elastic insert 36 adapting the cover to be removed from and secured `on the platform. The concave form of the upper surface of the platform is provided for the purpose of positively positioning the infants bath 10 thereon, in the event that this bath is not physically connected to the platform, and for positioning the infant on the platform for drying purposes after the bathing operation has been completed. The rubber covering 32 provides a resilient support for the infant, while the cloth-like covering 34 is utilized for the purpose of maintaining the infant out of direct contact with the rubber covering 32 and also for its water absorbent quality.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 2, the infants bath 10 is provided with a bracket 38 which is pivotally attached to a rod 40 carried by the platform. Thus, after the bathing operation has been completed and it is desired to empty the bath 10 and make the platform 16 available for the body drying and dressing operation, the bath is pivoted to the dotted line position, wherein the bracket 33 engages the side of the platform to prevent further pivotal movement of the tub 10 in the direction of bathtub wall 12.

As is indicated in Figure 3, the legs 18 are pivotal inwardly into engagement with the underside of the platform so that the device may be compacted for storage. If desired, and as shown in Figure 4, the device may embody spring-urged latch means 42 secured to the underside of the platform and operable to lock the legs 18 in a vertical position for use. The latches may be withdrawn to allow folding of the legs by manually moving the latch knobs 44 outwardly.

A refinement in the support means for the platform adapting the platform to be used regardless of the variations in thickness of bathtub walls 12 is shown in Figure 5. Here, each of the yoke-like leg members 18 is comprised of a fixed portion 46 and a movable portion 48, with the upper portion of the latter being mounted for sliding movement within a slot-like guide way 50 formed in the head of the yoke-like leg member 18. A threaded rod 52 journalled in the head of member 18 is in threaded engagement with the upper portion of movable leg 48. Upon rotation of the knurled knob S4 which is secured to the rod S2, the leg 48 is moved either toward or away from leg 46 to adapt the spacing between these leg elements to the particular thickness of the bathtub wall on which the support platform is to be used. The leg elements 46 and 4S are provided at their inner surfaces with rubber facings 56 enabling optimum frictional engagement between the legs and the bathtub wall.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that all substantial equivalents thereof are within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. An adjustable support platform comprising a platform member, a pair of brackets substantially U-shaped in cross section pivotally connected to the underside of said member for movement toward each other and against said member and away from each other to positions in which they are normal to said member and parallel to each other, leg members, having a pair of spaced depending portions adapted to embrace the wall of a permanently installed bathtub, fitted within said brackets and having a pivotal connection therewith about axes disposed at right angles to the axes of pivot of said brackets, and clamping means operable to selectively iix the positional attitude of said leg members with respect to said brackets comprising bolts carried by said leg members extending through oppositely disposed arcuate slots formed in said brackets and means carried by said bolts adapted to clamp said brackets and leg members together.

2. An adjustable support platform as set forth in claim 1, wherein a depending portion of each of said leg members is carried by the leg member for movement toward and away from the other depending portion, whereby the leg members may be adapted to embrace bathtub walls of 5 varying thickness, and means for adjustably positioning said movable depending portions.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATF PATENTS Dyett Oct. 16, 1877 Cots Nov. 22, 1910 Fye Nov. 19, 1912 Levine Jan. 8, 1935 Bentz Sept. 27, 1939 

